26 The EastAfrican OPINION FEBRUARY 15-21,2014 The colonialist ate my homewo≥k and othe≥ classic excuses fo≥ ou≥ ineptitude Economic failure, famine and crime are not caused by mismanagement and corruption.” Tee Ngugi to “lose the will to live.” Being caught in a Nairobi traffic jam may not inspire such levels of despair, but one is tormented by something close; a horrible sense of stasis felt as a vague yet distressing nervous condition. So one tries anything to ease the agony: A radio station one would not ordinarily listen to, a newspaper page not ordinarily avidly read, etc. And so it was that I found my- I self recently listening to a history and civics programme for Standard Eight pupils while waiting for time, held at bay by a Nairobi traffic jam, to restart. The lesson on radio was on the defunct East African Community. After giving its history and purpose, the presenter explained that it eventually broke up because of personality differences between think it was Frank Whalley, an art critic with The EastAfrican, who wrote memorably that to be caught in Kampala traffic is Idi Amin and Julius Nyerere. The major reason for the collapse, said the presenter, was interference from Britain, which, still nostalgic about its past colonial hegemony, did not want to see a powerful and independent regional bloc. To be sure, Nyerere, self-effacing and cerebral, was different from the gregarious and buffoonish Amin, but to say that this difference in per- sonality accounted for the collapse of the EAC is akin to saying that Joseph Stalin had Trotsky killed because he did not like the latter’s dress style. After all, the reserved Angela Merkel is different from the more extroverted David Cameron, but the forces that could eventually bring the EU down are rooted in fiscal policy, ideology, governance, culture and geopolitics. Oh, dear, where to start with the colonial argument? The analytical framework through which Africa apprehends its condition is based on the idea — propagated by cultural The analytical framework through which Africa apprehends its condition is based on the idea that the pre-colonial society was democratic and egalitarian nationalism — that the pre-colonial African society was democratic and egalitarian, and relations among Africa’s many ethnic groups were characterised by brotherly love. Accordingly, every single malady that today visits violence on our nationhood and humanity — from tribalism to civil war to female genital mutilation — are attributable to an aspect of colonialism. Thus Rwanda’s genocidal disinte- gration is viewed less as a confluence of historical ethnic antagonisms and a failed post-colonial state than as a legacy of the divide-and-rule tactics of colonialism. The oppression and low status of women in Africa are not seen as a feature of traditional patriarchy, but is instead theorised in terms of colonial and capitalist inequity and discrimination. Civil wars are less a product of dictatorship and institutional underdevelopment than as a product of geopolitical manipulation by world powers. Economic failure and the resulting perennial famine and debilitating crime are not attributable to mismanagement and corruption but to colonial economic policies, a view given a veneer of scholarship by Walter Rodney in his book, How Eu≥ope Unde≥developed Af≥ica. This theoretical approach to ana- lysing Africa’s condition would be fine if it were confined to schools of thought still mesmerised by illusions of past utopian grandeur. The problem is that this way of thinking has a bearing on our social and economic development. An assessment that does not fac- tor in internal causes of conflict or economic failure, for instance, can hardly prescribe workable solutions. So our mechanisms to deal with high-level corruption or to prevent conflict will have conceptual and practical defects. A mental attitude that refuses to interrogate outmoded thinking means that harmful values and practices will continue to damage our humanity. The radio presenter and the demagogues who wrote the syllabus were more concerned with ideological posturing, not pedagogy. Real teaching dispenses with convenient “truths” in order to equip learners with a critical understanding of their situation, and a willingness to subject their most cherished beliefs to logical scrutiny. The reasons for the collapse of the EAC should have looked at ideological differences stemming from the comical socialist experiment in Tanzania and the capture of the state in Kenya by a quasi-fascist clique, military dictatorship in Uganda, and divergent visions among Africa’s elite of the post-colonial state and pan-Africanism. Clearly, it is time to ditch the popular but false general theory of colonialism. Tee Ngugi is a social and political commentato≥ based in Nai≥obi How voluntee≥s can d≥ive sustainable development goals meeting in France where representatives of volunteer groups and volunteer-involving organisations from around the world gathered to talk about the role of volunteerism in the post-2015 agenda. Acknowledging that our world demands innovative mechanisms and dynamic spaces for public-private-citizen connections, the meeting affirmed the importance of having volunteering recognised as one of the key movements supporting the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as a single set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) beyond 2015. Volunteerism presents a tremendous re- I source for addressing many global development challenges and can therefore be both an opportunity and asset for development. Volunteering is key in engaging people in shaping, implementing and monitoring a truly inclusive and sustainable development agenda for the future that is characterised by inclusive growth, human rights, good governance, gender equality, peace, wellbeing, environmental responsibility and the fight against all inequality. With its people–to-people approach, volunteering draws on the ethos of shared humanity and universal values. At its best, it is a cornerstone in the creation of strong, healthy and vibrant communities that in turn foster wellbeing and resilience. Volunteerism provides a mechanism that engages people from the bot- n October 2013, the volunteer service organization (VSO) Jitolee represented Kenya at the International Forum for Volunteering in Development (IVCO) Volunteerism is recognised as a key complementary mechanism for social, economic and environmental transformation.” Ben Ngutu tom-up based on the premise that sustainable development results cannot be delivered by institutions alone. Volunteerism forms the backbone of national and international civil society organisations as well as the many social and political movements all over the world. Volunteerism, now seen by many as a form of civic engagement, is increasingly recognised as a key complementary mechanism for social, economic and environmental transformation. Closer home, volunteerism is now accepted as an essential ingredient for active citizenship, It is imperative that we inculcate a public service mentality at a very young age. We have to promote volunteerism throughout the life course as a catalyst for human and social development social cohesion, partnerships and relationships. People are motivated to volunteer for a number of reasons. Most choose to volunteer to give their time, talents and resources because they share a commitment to human wellbeing. Collectively, they have contributed to the MDGs, building human and social capital and a strong foundation for sustainable and inclusive economic growth. In spite of these positive trends in the recog- nition of volunteerism as a key complementary contributor to sustainable development, the volunteerism sector in Kenya continues to face a number of challenges. First, there is the lack of a clear legal and policy framework, which inhibits the growth of this sector. As volunteer groups and volunteer involving organisations, we have to engage in national level multi-stakeholder partnerships to aggregate positions on volunteering for development in order to collectively engage with national and county governments, corporate bodies and other key players. This will result in the achievement of a holistic and systematic approach to comprehensive volunteerism policy development, an enabling environment that will result in a quantum leap in the growth of the sector, alignment with the national and county development agenda as well as promoting responsible and inclusive business within the corporate sector. Another challenge has been the public per- ception of volunteers and volunteering. Volunteers are often seen as a source of cheap labour and are largely misunderstood. The value of volunteering to the GDP and its contribution to sustainable development in Kenya is not captured in any national statistics data. It is critical that we carry out dialogue with key stakeholders to ensure that they integrate volunteerism in their policies, programmes and implementation mechanisms to ensure that the concrete contribution and the value of volunteering is amply recognised in the development framework. On young people and volunteerism, it is imperative that we inculcate a public service mentality at a very young age. We have to promote volunteerism throughout the life course as a catalyst for human and social development at all levels of our society. In so doing we also need to acknowledge that youth are engaged and have demonstrated their contribution and commitment as agents of change today, and are essential for the successful delivery for Vision 2030 in Kenya and of the post 2015 agenda globally. Youth volunteerism has the potential to engage volunteers from a young age, encouraging a lifelong commitment to volunteerism. Ben Ngutu is executive di≥ecto≥ of VSO Jitolee and a boa≥d membe≥ of the Inte≥national Fo≥um fo≥ Voluntee≥ing in Development ben.ngutu@vsoint.o≥g